Endless-chain horse-power for



UNITED STATES PATENT OFT-TCE.

W. C. AND A. WHEELER, OF CHATHAM, NEV YORK.

ENDLESS-CHAIN HORSE-POWER FOR DRIVING MACHINERY.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 2,157, dated July 8, 1841.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, VILLIAM C. VHEELER and ALoNzo WHEELER, of the town of Chatham, county of Columbia, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Machine called a cHorse-Power; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same.

The horse power is of that description called a chain horse-power and the nature of our invention consists in providing the links of which the chain is formed with cogs to work into small pinions, the advantages of which principle over those of other horsepowers, are, that a considerable expense of gearing is avoided, which creates less friction and requires less power to produce the desired motion.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe the construction and operation or' the horse power of which it forms a part.

llt consists of an endless chain A, Figures 2 and 4, formed by horizontal axles B, Fig. 4L, connected by links O, Figs. 4L and 5, having a row of cogs on one edge and a projection or catch on the other edge between which catches plank D, Figs. 2 and il, are placed, being fitted and secured to the links by rods E, Fig. 5, passingthrough the catches o-n the links and through the ends of the planks. These planks form a bridge or floor upon which the horse walks The axles B extend through the links O and receive upon their ends wheels, F, Figs. 2 and 4, which revolve on rails, Gr and H, Fig. 1,

provided with a guard to prevent the wheels from running olf the axles. These rails are secured to the inner side of the traine I, Figs. l and 2; the upper rail, Gr, terminating in a semi-circle at each end, around which the chain revolves until it rests upon the lower rail H.

The machine is put in motion by placing the horse (or horses) upon the floor above described, and gearing them to the sides ot the traine, I. The two rows of cogs forined by the links C on each side oi' the chain work into 2 pinions K, Figs. 2 and 8,xed on a horizontal axle L, Fig. 8, turning in boxes fastened to the two side girts of the traine, I; the said horizontal axle having a pulley M, Figs. 2 and 3 on either end from which a belt or band extends to the niachine to which it is to be applied which may be any to which a horsepower is adapted.

le are aware that endless chains for horsepowers have been invented with plates jointed together and having cogs projecting from their under side to act on a pinion and therefore we do not claini this as our invention; but

That we do claim and desire to secure b v Letters Patent is Providing the lower edge of the links of the chain to which the endless flooring is attached with cogs to work into pinions as above described.

WILLIAM C. VHEELER. ALONZO WHEELER. lVitnesses:

XVM. B. MELICK, STEPHEN T. ETHEELER. 

